


Guard Dog

by AConfusedBean



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Hybrid AU, It doesn’t even go into description, Johnny is a German Shepard, Taeyong is a kind human being, small fight scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-02 13:16:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20276509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AConfusedBean/pseuds/AConfusedBean
Summary: Taeyong wasn’t expecting anything back when he helped out a hybrid in need. It’s a good thing that Youngho felt indebted to him anyway.





	Guard Dog

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea I was playing with and finally decided to post, just something short and sweet. Let me know if I made any mistakes.
> 
> Enjoy!

Taeyong scrolled through his phone, enjoying a Saturday morning on the outside patio of his favorite cafe when he heard a commotion across the street. Glancing up, he watched as a tall, thin, rather scruffy-looking dog hybrid got shooed out of a store. 

“Get out! I don’t ever want to see you in my doors again!” The store manager yelled.

“Please, I can pay!” The dog desperately said.

The man wasn’t having it as he continued to shoo the dog away before going back inside. There weren’t many people out due to it being a early on a weekend after a full five days of work, but those who  were out on the streets looked at the dog either in pity or disgust.

Taeyong watched, something tugging at his heartstrings as the dog hybrid’s ears flattened and as his tail tucked between his legs. He went around the corner into an alley, out of sight, but definitely not far enough to show that he was giving up. 

The human stood, sipping the last of his coffee before tossing it and heading across the street. He walked into the store, the manager sweeping and offering him a friendly smile and greeting—a far cry from what he showed the hybrid. Unfortunately, that was the world hybrids had to live in.

Taeyong hurriedly looked around the store, wanting to get what he needed before the dog had the chance to disappear. He bought two sandwiches from the deli, two bottled waters, a protein drink, and an assortment of chips. Hastily paying, he exited the store and rounded the corner of the alley. 

The dog hybrid looked up as he approached, quickly getting to his feet and growling. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Taeyong assured, speaking calmly and making himself look as least threatening as possible. “I saw what happened earlier and I just wanted to give you this.” He held out the bag of food.

The dog looked at him in a mixture of distrust, amazement, and hope. He hesitantly accepted the bag, giving the items a quick scan.

“Everything is still sealed and hasn’t been opened,” Taeyong promised. “I just wanted to help you out after how horribly the store manager treated you.” 

“I...I appreciate your kindness,” the hybrid said, swallowing. He quickly dug around in the pockets of his worn-out jeans. “Here, I know it’s not much, but I have to repay you somehow.”

Taeyong didn’t even look at the money the hybrid had. He shook his head, backing away with a smile.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to pay me back,” he assured.

The hybrid shook his head. “I insist.”

“And I’m saying that it would be pointless,” Taeyong said with a little chuckle. “A little kindness won’t break my bank and I’m happy to offer my help where I can.” 

The hybrid bowed. “I can’t thank you enough. My name is Youngho and if you need a favor, I will be more than happy to offer what I can.”

Taeyong smiled. “I’m Taeyong, it was nice meeting you. Take care now.”

Taeyong waved before heading his own way. Youngho watched as the kind human left, clutching the bag of food to his chest. As he turned to head deeper into the alley, he wondered if he would ever meet Taeyong again. 

*****

Youngho decided that since Taeyong wouldn’t allow him to repay him in cash, he’d do it in other ways. So, he became sort of a stalker. Not in a predatory kind of way though, no, he liked to think of himself more as a bodyguard. 

These streets at night certainly weren’t the safest and upon seeing that Taeyong walked them after the sun went down due to his night shift at the nearby bar, Youngho decided to stay awake and in the area long enough to discreetly follow the human back to his apartment. There were no interactions—Taeyong didn’t even know he was there—and Youngho never approached him to ask for another meal. He wondered how long he would do this for but decided to cross that bridge when he came to it. Besides, it was relatively easy. The hardest part was staying in the shadows so he wouldn’t be seen. 

One night, however, was different. Taeyong was let out later than usual and was all but stumbling home from tiredness. Which probably made him a good target since he usually walked with a purpose. Youngho’s ears perked up as he heard footsteps that weren’t in the least bit quiet. He narrowed his eyes as Taeyong passed an alley and was suddenly dragged into it. Youngho let out the scariest growl he could muster as he picked up his pace. 

“What do we have here, pretty boy?” A voice sneered. 

“Let me go,” Taeyong hissed, struggling. 

“Oh we will,” another person mocked. “After we take what we want from you.”

Taeyong yelped in surprise as he felt a hand grab his ass and he squirmed even more. Just as the man holding him against the wall began to lean closer, a loud, deep growl caused them to pause. It sounded like a dog but when the figure came around the corner, they realized it was a dog  hybrid . Taeyong’s eyes widened as he recognized the dog from a week ago, standing with his shape outlined by a streetlight. He wasn’t buff or anything, but he still had a tall, broad build and it was enough to be intimidating. Too bad these punks had safety in numbers. 

There were four total and they had numbers on their side, yes, but at the end of the day, they weren’t the ones fighting for their lives. This hybrid had more street smarts than all four put together and has had to fight his way out of nasty situations more times than he could count. Still, they didn’t go without a fight, being able to land multiple kicks and punches, and only once they retreated did Youngho crumple to his knees, holding his side and letting out pained whimpers. Taeyong rushed to him, feeling absolutely horrible that he didn’t try to help.

“I’m so sorry, I was just so shocked and scared I didn’t even think of helping,” he rambled. “Here, I’m taking you home, I can help you better there. Can you stand?”

It took awhile, but they fortunately made it to Taeyong’s apartment without any more trouble. Youngho limped inside and into the elevator, too tired to be worried about how the steel doors slid ominously shut. They opened a few seconds later with a ding and Taeyong hurriedly escorted him down a few halls to his door, careful not to be seen by anyone. He was lucky it was so late at night. Then again, it was probably  because it was late at night that he got in this situation, but he ignored that. 

Youngho winced as he was laid down on a couch and closed his eyes, relishing that he was actually laying on something soft for once. Taeyong returned with a warm, wet washcloth and a bit of first aid materials. The hybrid sat still as he was gently scrubbed down, Taeyong having to make a few trips to the sink to wash off the dirt, and as his cuts were cleaned. 

“Here, why don’t you take a quick shower?” Taeyong suggested. “It’ll help you get cleaner to reduce the risk of dirt getting in the wound.“ 

Youngho stumbled to his feet, wondering when the last time he had a shower was. It was actually when he had taken a quick run through a park’s sprinklers a few days ago. It would be nice to properly shower. Once cleaned and dressed in Taeyong’s biggest clothes, the human guided him to lay down on his bed. An actual bed. Youngho wondered if this was how owned hybrids were treated or if Taeyong was just a special type of human. 

Taeyong felt warmth in his chest at the large hybrid that had curled himself up. Had it not been for Youngho, he’d probably be in a bad place by now. Now that the hybrid was cleaned, Taeyong could take a proper look at his hybrid features. His ears were pointed and his tail was tan with a black patch. He wondered what kind of breed Youngho was. 

Taeyong turned off the lights and headed to the couch, having no problem spending one night on it. He closed his eyes, the fatigue of the day and what happened at night getting to him and sending him to sleep.

*****

Youngho woke up with a yawn and a sneeze. He stretched, humming contentedly as he felt his back press into the soft mattress rather than hard dirt. 

Wait.

Eyes snapping open, he sat up and looked around. He was in a relatively small room, but it was neat and tidy. As Youngho felt the comfortable bed sheets in awe, he recalled the previous night’s events. 

He heard a loud clatter from outside the room and his head snapped at the entrance of the doorway, ears perked for further noise. When there were no other concerning noises, he decided to get up and look around. 

The place was quite small, across from the bedroom was another bathroom and then it opened up into a small living room that was connected to a kitchen. And there Taeyong was, moving around and making breakfast. Youngho’s mouth salivated as he smelled something cooking and his tail wagged as he recognized the smell of cooking meat.

His stomach let out a loud gurgle and Taeyong turned around, smiling at his guest. Youngho folded his ears back in embarrassment.

“Good morning,” Taeyong greeted cheerfully. “Have a seat, I’m almost done.”

He had decided to go for a more American-style breakfast approach and plated a large serving of scrambled eggs with two pieces of toast and a few sausages. 

“What would you like to drink?” 

Youngho looked up from where he was staring at the pile of food in awe. “Um, water please?”

Taeyong nodded and poured a glass of water and a glass of juice for himself. Then, he joined the hybrid at the table.

“How did you sleep?”

“Very well,” Youngho admitted, waiting for Taeyong to take a bite before he started eating. “A bed beats a park bench any day.” 

Taeyong hummed in agreement. He sensed that Youngho was probably unused to pleasant small talk and was probably more focused on eating, so he let the conversation die. Youngho was practically scarfing up the food as fast as he could without being considered a messy eater.

“Take your time,” Taeyong gently reprimanded, “nobody will take the food from you and of you eat too fast, you could get sick.” 

Youngho tried his best to slow down. Once he polished off his plate, he sat back, stomach full. He was unused to eating such a large meal and he was beginning to understand why Taeyong told him to take it slow. 

“Thanks for everything,” Youngho said shyly, wriggling in his seat. “The bed, the food, everything.” 

“Thanks for saving me,” Taeyong returned, getting up to clean the table. “This is honestly the least I could do.”

Youngho helped him wash and dry the dishes, the two working side by side in a domestic manner. When the last plate was put away, Youngho twitched his ears awkwardly. 

“Thanks again,” he said softly. “I should probably be on my way though.”

“Wait,” Taeyong said, mind working quickly. “You don’t have to. Go, I mean. You can stay if you want.”

Youngho looked at him, ears peeking up and tail beginning to wag hopefully.

Taeyong took a deep breath to explain himself. “Look, I know we only knew each other for a grand total of twelve hours between the two days we met, but you seem like a genuine guy. I don’t know your stance on being an ‘owned’ hybrid is, so you could just consider us roommates if you want. But point is, is that I wouldn’t mind having you around if you’d like to stay.”

Youngho couldn’t fight a smile, tail wagging like crazy. “Really? I can stay?”

Taeyong nodded with a smile of his own. “If you want to, then yes.” 

Youngho couldn’t help but let out a little bark of excitement. Taeyong laughed, opening his arms for the dog to jump into them. Youngho hugged the kind human tightly, feeling like an excited puppy all over again. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this happy and hopeful.

“I recently graduated from college with a degree in architecture, so I’m currently job hunting,” Taeyong explained. “I have a few leads right now, so hopefully I can find one and when I do, we’ll move into a nicer place. Until then, you can have my bed and I can sleep on the couch again.”

Youngho shook his head in refusal. “I’m not kicking you to the couch in your own home,” he argued.

“It’s yours now too,” Taeyong reminded. “But we can make a deal and settle for half and half, you get the bed one half the week and I can get it for the other.”

Youngho nodded. “I’ll help out in anyway I can,” he promised. “I’ll be the best roommate you’ve ever had.”

Taeyong chuckled, petting the dog between the ears. Youngho may have looked like a big, tough street dog, but inside he really was an adorable little puppy.

“What kind of dog are you, by the way?”

“I’m a German Shepard.” 

“No wonder why you seemed like such a good guard dog.” 

“It’s literally in my blood.” 

Taeyong smiled. It would take a little getting used to to having someone with so much energy around him constantly. Usually his apartment was empty and quiet as he went around his monotonous routine. But something told him it was an arrangement he could get used to quickly. 


End file.
